Antipolo mayor files poll protest, accuses rival of fraud

Outgoing Antipolo Mayor Nilo Leyble has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to nullify the proclamation of Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares III who was declared the city’s mayor-elect based on the results of the May 13 polls.

In a statement e-mailed to the Inquirer, Leyble said the protest that was filed in the Comelec main headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, was based on “irregularities” that tainted the results of the elections.

Among these were massive vote-buying, harassment and the use of flying voters, Leyble added.

He said a separate protest would be filed with the poll body, this time based on the “inaccurate election tallies” from 38 precinct count optical scan machines that reportedly malfunctioned on Election Day.

His e-mailed statement came after one of his staunch supporters and political leaders was killed in Barangay Sta. Cruz on Tuesday night.

Rina Gabuna Junio, 50, was watching television in her house at Sitio East Kamias when a gunman barged inside and killed her.

She was rushed to Antipolo District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The gunman escaped after the shooting.

Some people were quick to attribute the killing to politics but Insp. Medardo Sumait, commander of the police community precinct which has jurisdiction over the case, said this was far from true.

According to him, investigators were following up a lead although he refused to disclose details as this might affect police operations.

“The motive we’re looking into is not at all political, far from it,” he said.